Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are becoming more commonplace in general illumination applications, such as office spaces and conference rooms. For example, an edge-lit panel uses LEDs as its light source, and is become increasingly common for ceiling-based applications, such as incorporation into ceiling tiles. While edge-lit panels tend to have a pleasing, uniform external appearance, such edge-lit panels tend to produce only diffuse light.
There are some instances where a user may want to use an additional directional beam, such as a spotlight or accent light, for illuminating a particular task or space. Typically, the user has to install a separate fixture that provides such a directional beam, often referred to as a downlight. Use of a separate fixture is unwieldy, and may not be aesthetically pleasing.
Early attempts to incorporate a downlight source into an edge-lit fixture involved cutting a hole directly through the fixture, placing the downlight in the hole, and using a bezel or mask to hide the edge where the hole is cut. These attempts may have produced both the diffuse light and the directional beam, but they lacked the pleasing, uniform external appearance of the uncut edge-lit panel.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a single light fixture that can produce both diffuse light and a directional beam, while maintaining a uniform external appearance.